For the second time this off-season, Montréal’s Walter Cup failed to arrive at a scheduled player appearance. The latest incident occurred when the trophy was supposed to travel to Brighton, Michigan, for an event hosted by Shiann Darkangelo. The Michigan native helped Montréal win the 2026 championship before signing with the new Detroit franchise.
“The Walter Cup did not arrive as expected yesterday, and unfortunately, it will not be at the Athleta event in Brighton today,” Darkangelo wrote on social media. She understandably added that she was disappointed for the fans who had expected to see it.
The good news is that the trophy had not completely vanished. According to a report cited by Sportsnet, the league knew where it was—it simply did not reach Michigan in time. That is still not terribly comforting, considering what happened only two weeks earlier.
In August, the same trophy failed to arrive in Lethbridge, Alberta, for Victoire forward Dara Greig’s scheduled day with the Cup. A shipping container arrived, but apparently it was not the container holding the trophy. Greig’s public celebration had to be postponed while the PWHL and the shipping company attempted to locate Walter.
Holy hardware, Batman! Was there a ransom note in the container? Were the RCMP or FBI contacted? Were the Russians up to no good? Alas, no—the trophy was eventually found and returned to the Victoire, with the league explaining that it had been “lost in shipment.”
Then, incredibly, the league reportedly used the same shipping company for the attempted delivery to Michigan. Is the person who made that fateful decision still employed? Then again, maybe young kids will stop playing Where’s Waldo in favour of a newer version: Where’s Walter? So, there’s that.
NOT THE ORIGINAL CUP
To be clear, the travelling trophy is Montréal’s “keeper” version of the Walter Cup—not the original trophy presented on the ice.
The original sterling-silver Walter Cup, designed by Tiffany & Co., is permanently housed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Championship teams receive their own replica to keep and tour with their players during the off-season.
Calling it a replica, however, makes it sound like something picked up at a souvenir stand. Montréal’s version is also made of sterling silver, stands approximately two feet tall and weighs about 35 pounds. It is not the sort of package that should disappear unnoticed.
Unlike the Stanley Cup, which travels with an official keeper, the Walter Cup does not have a designated person accompanying it from stop to stop. After two failed deliveries in a matter of weeks, the PWHL may want to reconsider that arrangement.
With four new teams (Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas, San Jose) added to the loop for the 2026-2027 season, the PWHL hopes to deliver another exciting season of women’s hockey. All it needs now is someone who can safely deliver Walter when needed.
